Jan. 19, 2026, 5:01 a.m. PT
The Los Angeles Lakers have won only 10 of their last 22 games, and during that stretch, they have been banged up. A number of rotation players have missed time due to injury, and in Saturday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, they were without Austin Reaves, Luka Dončić, Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.
Doncic, Ayton and Hayes returned to action on Sunday and helped the Lakers notch a 110-93 win over the Toronto Raptors. However, it often appears as if Doncic is playing hurt, especially after hurting his groin in a recent game.
That groin ailment is what caused him to sit out Saturday’s contest. After Sunday’s victory, he was asked how it felt.
“It’s OK, not bad,” he said.
He was then asked if the ailment is something he will have to deal with and if he feels like it impacts his play.
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“Yeah, maybe a little bit. But obviously I’m gonna try to play through it.”
Doncic shot 15-of-26 from the field and 6-of-11 from 3-point range in Thursday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets. But on Sunday, he was only 8-of-23 from the field, although he made five of his 12 attempts from downtown. He has shown a remarkable desire and willingness to play through pain and even injury over the years.
The Lakers will start an eight-game road trip on Tuesday with a matchup against the Denver Nuggets, one of the teams they’re chasing in the Western Conference standings. Needless to say, they will need as much good health as they can get over the next few weeks if they are to turn things around and build some true, sustained momentum.